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Hi I'm Aubrey

I'm a mother, a teacher, and student. I'm a Mormon.

About Me

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I am a mother. It's been hard for me to come to grips with motherhood. I never wanted to be a Mom. When I was a kid, I thought I was going to be an entomologist or an astronaut. Astronaut dropped out of the running the first time I went on a spinning ride at an amusement park. Many years and many spinning rides later (both literal and figurative), I'm a mom. It's been the hardest and best decision I've ever made. Yeah, I have my "what in the world have I gotten myself into" days; sometimes even weeks. But I love my children, and I love the calling and trust God has placed in me. Every day I understand a little better how much I needed my children, my husband, and my role as a mother.
Before the kids and after the astronaut, I graduated from BYU-Idaho with an emphasis in professional writing. Writing, for me, is a way to put the things that we are on paper. We see ourselves more clearly and we understand a little better the way we work when we can capture and describe who we are and then share our experience with others. I went back to school and graduated with a masters degree in English from National University. Now, I work spreading the skills I learned as a student by working as adjunct faculty.
I also love to travel. Thus far I've travelled to Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, England, Germany, Austria, France, the Netherlands, and parts of the United States. I haven't quite made it to China yet.

Why I am a Mormon

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I'm grateful that my mother was open-minded enough to invite us to attend religious services for other belief systems. She wanted us to know what else was out there -- that we were free to choose what to believe. I've attended Catholic Mass and Evangelical services, and toured a Jewish synagogue and a Masonic temple. As much as I respect and admire the good people of the world who honestly believe in and follow Jesus Christ, there is a difference between this church and all the others. It's something you feel more than you see.
I know this feeling is a confirmation from God that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church of Christ. I feel it when I read the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I feel it when I go to church on Sunday. I feel it when my husband teaches our daughter to pray. I feel that confirming peace -- that love from a loving Father in Heaven -- every time I catch myself following the true doctrine of Christ.
That's why I'm a Mormon.

How I live my faith

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Imagine walking into a room of howler monkeys while holding an open bag of gold fish crackers. That's kind of what it's like to work in nursery. Nursery serves kids from 18 mo-3 years old, providing an age-appropriate class for them while their parents attend Sunday School. My husband and I worked together with our little class of howler monkeys, playing with toys, scribbling in coloring books, and teaching short lessons about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes very short. I loved hearing the kids sing, "I Am a Child of God."
Now, I work with other sisters in the women's organization organizing activities. We've enjoyed book and recipe swaps, hikes in the surrounding foothills, game nights, formal dinners, not-so-formal dinners, baby showers and birthday parties, and skills workshops for sign language (ASL), crafts and art projects, and home gardening. (Don't tell anyone, but my tomato plant died. I did better with sign language.)
I also visit with some of the ladies in our neighborhood on a monthly basis. It's nice to keep in contact with everyone and to help out with neighbor kids and cleaning projects.
I lived in Uruguay for a year and a half as a proselyting missionary. My companion and I had the opportunity to help many Uruguayans break addictions, heal family relationships, and find personal peace. We taught the Gospel of Christ, and we tried as hard as we could to live it. I was inspired by the drastic changes that people chose to make in order to live according to what they learned of Jesus Christ and his gospel.

What do Mormons believe happens to us after we die? What do Mormons believe about life after death?

Aubrey

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Mortality can be a bitter truth for us to swallow. Death, they say, is just another part of life. I believe that, but I also know the hurt, confusion, and even depression that hits after losing a loved one. My cousin, a marine, was killed in Iraq. My grandmother died of cancer, among other things. A friend lost her baby, her only son. These deaths -- natural or not -- hurt. But the hurt doesn't have to last. Even amidst the grief and confusion, the encompassing love of Jesus Christ can heal our broken hearts. He healed mine, every time.
That's not to say, mind you, that we don't grieve. Even Jesus wept (John 11:35). Grief is natural; misery is not. The Plan of Happiness outlined by Jesus Christ not only provides for the life to come, but also provides for our spiritual healing here, now. The atonement of Jesus Christ enables us to live richer, fuller lives now and after death. When we die, we do not end; we move forward, and continue to learn alongside our loved ones who have gone before.Show moreShow less

Brian Donahue was well versed in the Bible and had a strong religious upbringing, but he still felt something was missing. In his search to discover what that was, he never thought the answer would come directly from God.